County Investigating Cancer Outbreak Families Report More Cases Among Children And Adults

September 10, 1986|By Alex Beasley of The Sentinel Staff

The Orange County Health Department began an investigation Tuesday to determine the cause of several cases of cancer that have killed or crippled at least four children and young adults in the same area.

''We're trying to ferret out if there are any similarities. So far, we've looked at the environmental reasons and there aren't any,'' said Bill Toth, senior health department analyst assigned to the inquiry.

The department began the investigation after The Orlando Sentinel reported Tuesday there have been at least four cancer cases -- including three deaths this year -- in and around two adjoining subdivisions in rural southeast Orange County.

No evidence exists to indicate the numbers are anything other than a statistical fluke. However, Toth and Orange County Health Director Dr. John McGarry said they were responding to concerns by parents that something may be causing the cancer.

On Tuesday, other families in the Quail Trail and East Orlando Estates subdivisions called the Sentinel to report more cancer among children and adults. Other calls came from families in nearby subdivisions.

Statistics from the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta show that among people under 20 years old, less than five cancer deaths occur for every 100,000 population. The area under study has about 7,000 residents.

''It sounds like it might be high there, but someone needs to do more research,'' said Dr. Chad Helmick, an epidemiologist at the centers' division of chronic disease control. He said county researchers will have a better idea how high the cancer rates are after breaking down the area's population by age groups.

However, Helmick said it is not unusual for communities to report abnormal cancer rates because statistically some will have more cases than average.

''Even if it's high, it may be just chance that it happened there,'' he said.

Before deciding whether a problem exists, Helmick said it is important to determine the types of cancer, any environmental hazards and the backgrounds of the victims and their families.

Toth said his office is doing just that.

He said the department reviewed test results of the drinking water in the area and is convinced it does not pose a health problem. Toth said he also turned up no evidence of toxic wastes.

''We can't find a common risk that indicates an environmental problem,'' he said.

So far he has not been able to come up with a common thread. The cases he has reviewed involve people with different types of cancer and who have lived there only a few years.

''Essentially what we are looking at is that I'm going to have to dig deeper,'' he said.